The Giving Season: Make Smart and Effective
Charitable Donations This Holiday Season.

The holidays are a popular time for
charitable donations. With so many charities to choose
from, it's more important than ever to ensure that your donation
is well spent. Here are six tips that can help you make
smart and effective charitable donations.

1. Choose your charities wisely.
Choosing worthy organizations that support the causes you care
about can be tricky, but it doesn't have to be time-consuming.
There are several well-

As a Registered Investment
Advisor, Just Plans Etc. has a fiduciary duty to each and every
client of the firm. The policy of Just Plans Etc. is to
protect the interests of each of the firm's clients and to place
the client's interests first and foremost in every situation.
The firm's fiduciary duty includes providing full and fair disclosure
of all relevant facts and any potential or actual conflicts of
interest, a duty of loyalty and good faith, providing recommendations that are suitable, and seeking best execution
of all client transactions.

How much you can afford to give to the charity.
Stick to your giving goals and only give what you can
afford. Legitimate fundraisers will not try to
pressure you and will be happy to send information that can
help you make an informed decision regarding your donation.

2. Remember the importance of record keeping.
If you itemize when you file your taxes, you

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known organizations that rate and review
charities, as well as provide useful tips and information on how
to donate and choose a charity. To get started, here are
some things to consider:

How the charity plans to use your
gift. Contact the charity by phone or go online to
find information about the charity's mission,
accomplishments, financial status, and future growth.

How much the charity spends on
administrative costs. If a charity has
higher-than-average administrative costs, it may be spending
less on programs and services than it should. This
could also be a sign that the charity is in serious
financial trouble. In addition, if a charity uses
for-profit telemarketers, then it may get very little of the
money it raises, so ask how much of your donation the
charity will actually receive.

The legitimacy of the charity.
Take the time to check out the charity before you
donate. Ask for identification when approached by a
solicitor, and never give out your Social Security number,
credit card number, bank account number, account password,
or personal information over the phone or in response to an
e-mail you didn't initiate.

can deduct donations you've made to a
tax-qualified charity - however, you must provide proper
documentation of your donation to the IRS. Keep copies of
cancelled checks, bank statements, credit card statements, or
receipts showing the charity's name, date of your donation, and
contribution amount. For donations or contributions of
$250 or more, you'll need a detailed written acknowledgment from
the charity. For more information and a list of specific
record-keeping requirements, see IRS Publication 526, Charitable
Contributions.

Why Use An Advisor?

People use financial
planners because they don't have the time, interest, or
ability to create a plan by themselves, or they do have the
time and ability and want a second opinion.

Clients of Just Plans are mostly of the first group, and
are generally overwhelmed by the multitude of options with
which they are confronted. The #1 item most are concerned
with is having an adequate retirement income. Number two is
funding their children's college costs. While college costs
can be paid from current income or monies accumulated
beforehand, retirement income can only be provided by
setting money aside ahead of time and investing it wisely.

Our business is built on relationships. We work with you
to identify and quantify your objectives. The first step
involves gathering personal and financial information.
Goals are established and constraints identified.
Relationships prosper when expectations are realistic.
Investments are based on what is needed to reach your goals,
taking into consideration your ability to tolerate market
volatility.

When you choose to have us manage your investments, the accounts
are 100% discretionary. We allocate portfolio assets to CDs,
Treasuries, separate accounts, exchange traded and
traditional mutual funds and individual stocks. Depending on
the size of the account, up to 60% may be allocated to core
holdings, with the balance allocated to industry specific or
asset class specific positions. Monthly statements are
provided by the custodian. Just Plans provides quarterly
performance reports and we are available for personal
reviews.

History

In 1982 Just
Plans was formed to provide investment products for
retirement plans, and to provide financial counseling to
business owners and retirement plan participants. The
predecessor insurance firm (started in 1967) designed and
implemented retirement plans for closely held businesses. It
provided estate-planning strategies for the business owners,
their key people, and other individuals.

Just Plans refers to its services as "ABEL Strategy." Conceived in
1991, the concept was initially a non-discretionary
investment account using no load mutual funds held at
Charles Schwab & Co. A 1% fee was charged. The program is
now 100% discretionary, using CDs, Treasuries, exchange
traded and traditional mutual funds and individual stocks,
with accounts at Schwab or TD Ameritrade.

We can be a resource for any situation that has to do with
finances. For services in which we do not specialize, we
refer our clients to many other partner professionals and
firms with whom we network.